Plant imaging and spectral scanning system and method

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for imaging and scanning a plurality of plants to capture information related to plant performance. Plants move through the system on a conveyor belt in specialized plant container pot holders.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for taking images of a plant located within a plant container moving on a conveyor belt, the apparatus comprising:
 an imaging housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant container to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt, respectively, the imaging housing having a generally planar wall located on a first side of the conveyor belt and an arcuate wall located on a second, opposite side of the conveyor belt, the arcuate wall having a concave shape directed toward the generally planar wall; 
 a scanning housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant containers to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt passing through the scanning housing, the interior region of the scanning housing being spaced apart from the interior region of the imaging housing; 
 a plurality of lights located on the arcuate wall of the imaging housing to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt in front of the generally planar wall; and 
 a camera located in the imaging housing above the conveyor belt to capture images of the illuminated plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt; 
 at least one high intensity lamp located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt; 
 a spectroradiometer probe located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to capture a reflected spectral signature from the illuminated plant; 
 first and second shields located in the scanning housing above the conveyor belt and below the at least one high intensity lamp and the probe, the first and second shields being configured to obscure the conveyor belt from the probe, wherein a stalk of the plant extends through a slot between the first and second shields so that leaves of the plant are located above the first and second shields for illumination by the at least one high intensity lamp and for scanning by the probe; and 
 a light excluding tunnel disposed along the conveyor belt between the imaging housing and the scanning housing, the light excluding tunnel operable to prevent light from the plurality of lights in the imaging housing from influencing the camera located in spectroradiometer probe in the scanning housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a door located adjacent the entrance opening of the imaging housing, the door being moveable from an open position to permit the plant container to enter the imaging housing on the conveyor belt through the entrance opening of the imaging housing and a closed position to block the entrance opening of the imaging housing. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt and the generally planar wall within the imaging housing are blue in color to improve plant images captured by the camera. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lights are LEDs. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the lights are formed by a plurality of LED light ropes coupled to the arcuate wall. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate wall has a semi-circular shape. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging housing has a ceiling located above the arcuate wall and the generally planar wall, and further comprising a plurality of lights located on the ceiling of the imaging housing to further illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of lights on the arcuate wall and the ceiling are LEDs arranged to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the imaging housing and the scanning housing are arranged such that a respective plant container passes through the imaging housing prior to the scanning housing. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one high intensity lamp comprises a plurality of spaced apart lamps coupled to a ceiling of the scanning housing. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the probe collects reflectance, radiance and irradiance measurements from the plant. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a computer coupled to the probe, and wherein the reflected spectral signature from plant captured by the probe is analyzed by the computer. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a window formed in the scanning housing to permit viewing of the plant, the at least one lamp and the probe from outside the scanning housing. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second shields are aligned generally parallel to the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second shields extend longitudinally from the entrance opening to the exit opening of scanning housing. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second shields are separated from each other by a longitudinally extending gap forming the slot. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second shields each include a lead-in ramp surface located adjacent the entrance opening of the scanning housing, the lead-in ramp surfaces of the first and second shields guiding a portion of the plant into the slot between the first and second shields. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the interior region of the housing and the first and second shields are black in color to improve the effectiveness of probe. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the conveyor belt is blue in color, the blue color of the conveyor belt being obscured by the black color of the first and second shields. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus for a plant located in a plant container moving on a conveyor belt, the apparatus comprising:
 an imaging housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant containers to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt passing through a bottom portion of the housing, the imaging housing illuminated by at least one light; 
 a scanning housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant containers to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt passing through a bottom portion of the scanning housing, the interior region of the scanning housing being spaced apart from the interior region of the imaging housing; 
 at least one high intensity lamp located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt; 
 a spectroradiometer probe located in the interior region of the scanning housing above the conveyor belt to capture a reflected spectral signature from the illuminated plant; 
 first and second shields located in the housing above the conveyor belt and below the at least one high intensity lamp and the probe, the first and second shields being configured to obscure the conveyor belt from the probe, wherein a stalk of the plant extends through a slot between the first and second shields so that leaves of the plant are located above the first and second shields for illumination by the at least one high intensity lamp and for scanning by the probe; and 
 a light excluding tunnel disposed along the conveyor belt between the imaging housing and the scanning housing, the light excluding tunnel operable to prevent light from the at least one light in the imaging housing from influencing the camera located in spectroradiometer probe in the scanning housing. 
 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one high intensity lamp comprises a plurality of spaced apart lamps coupled to a ceiling of the scanning housing. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the probe collects reflectance, radiance and irradiance measurements from the plant. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a computer coupled to the probe, and wherein the reflected spectral signature from plant captured by the probe is analyzed by the computer. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a window formed in the scanning housing to permit viewing of the plant, the at least one lamp and the probe from outside the scanning housing. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second shields are aligned generally parallel to the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second shields extend longitudinally from the entrance opening to the exit opening of scanning housing. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first and second shields are separated from each other by a longitudinally extending gap forming the slot. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second shields each include a lead-in ramp surface located adjacent the entrance opening of the scanning housing, the lead-in ramp surfaces of the first and second shields guiding a portion of the plant into the slot between the first and second shields. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the interior region of the housing and the first and second shields are black in color to improve the effectiveness of probe. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the conveyor belt is blue in color, the blue color of the conveyor belt being obscured by the black color of the first and second shields. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the imaging housing has a generally planar wall located on a first side of the conveyor belt and an arcuate wall located on a second, opposite side of the conveyor belt, the arcuate wall having a concave shape directed toward the generally planar wall; 
 the at least one light comprises a plurality of lights located on the arcuate wall to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt in front of the generally planar wall; and 
 the apparatus further comprises a camera located in the imaging housing above the conveyor belt to capture images of the illuminated plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt. 
 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a door located adjacent the entrance opening of the imaging housing, the door being moveable from an open position to permit the plant container to enter the imaging housing on the conveyor belt through the entrance opening of the imaging housing and a closed position to block the entrance opening of the imaging housing. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the conveyor belt and the generally planar wall within the imaging housing are blue in color to improve plant images captured by the camera. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one light comprises a plurality of LEDs. 
     
     
       35. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one light comprises a plurality of LED light ropes coupled to the arcuate wall. 
     
     
       36. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the arcuate wall has a semi-circular shape. 
     
     
       37. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the imaging housing has a ceiling located above the arcuate wall and the generally planar wall, and further comprising a plurality of lights located on the ceiling of the imaging housing to further illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       38. The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the plurality of lights on the arcuate wall and the ceiling are LEDs arranged to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       39. The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the imaging housing and the scanning housing are arranged such that a respective plant container passes through the imaging housing prior to the scanning housing.